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 Wewoka Woods Adventist Center History The squeeze of a growing Del City was being felt at Bierig Park. The noise of Tinker Air Force planes seemed to come more often and with greater intensity. And then there was always the problem of flooding to contend with, as well as the extreme heat that campers from air-conditioned homes and cars did not tolerate well. Though many ideas were studied, there seemed no solution to these problems.
The Sooner Road campground had served the Oklahoma Conference well for 40 years. Its purchase at a sacrificial price had been a miracle for the Lord. Leaving this special place was a painful thought. However a second miracle of the profitable sale of the Park at exactly the time needed was just what it took to make a change. And so with the same pioneer spirit of adventure as their forefathers, Oklahomans turned loose of a campground that had been outgrown and reached out for a new site.
Their faith brought a new challenge to the horizon—where to locate the new campground. For over a year a conference-committee-appointed Feasibility Study Committee, made up of nine lay persons, looked at the options for future camp meetings. The committee pursued many “leads” in the search for a new site to serve the needs of camp meeting, summer camp, and as a church growth center for conference programs and activities. Finally, in 1979, when it seemed as though the ideal place could not be found, prayers were answered. Property for sale near Wewoka was noted in a newspaper clipping. Conference president Elder Robert D. Rider, and then youth director, Larry Schneider, wasted no time in getting there to take a look.
On September 9, 1979, the vote to purchase the 461 acres, with a 45-acre lake, was enthusiastically supported by the 198 delegates attending a specially-called meeting of the constituency. Conference members were overjoyed and excitement was in the air as each phase of development came in rapid succession. The first summer camp was held in 1981, and the historic first camp meeting joyfully took place July 16-24, 1982.
Literally dozens of names were considered for the new church growth center. On April 3, 1980, the Conference Executive Committee voted Wewoka Woods Adventist Center as the official name. The use of a geographical name was felt to be important as well as a name unique to Oklahoma. “Wewoka” is a soft Indian name (Barking Waters) that not only identifies the area but brings to mind the significant role of Indian culture in our state.
It has been easy to fall in love with beautiful Wewoka Woods. The rustic gate has a friendly welcome for campers and invites them to leave their preassures of a complex lifestyle behind, and let God wrap His arms around them for a wonderful week of fellowship with Him, His nature, and the members of his remnant church. The transfer of allegiance has come quickly and smoothly. The children of our church today are sotring up "Wewoka Woods memories" that will last a lifetime, even as their parents and grandparents often relive "Sooner Road Memories", and their great grandparents recall the straw ticks, the cook tent, and the train ride to camp meeting in Guthrie.
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